Folding mechanism



Jan. 15, 1935. J, J. WILKINSON 1,988,226

FOLDING MECHANISM I Filed Jan. 2, 1952 INVENTOR.

I Jomv d, M4470; M

) ATT NEY Patented Jan. 15, 1935 & U ED STAT B PATENT- oFri-c FOLDINGMECHANISM I Q John J. Wilkinson, Owego, Y., assignor to Howe FoldingFurniturer lncr ldew; York; I Application J nuary's, leaa'se'riai No.584,309. I 4Claims; c1.s1 1--v7) My invention relates to afoldingmechanism for card tables, "banquet: tables, benches, and other I likedevices wherein a supporting surface or frame'isprovidedwithleg'swhichuitis desired to render foldablen "{Q'Ifhe' "principal objectof my invention is to provide a novel folding 'mechanism. f or .the legsof a supporting surface wherein movement *of any one leg thereof resultsin simultaneous and synchronous movement of the other legs thereof.

A-further object o1 my invention 1ies-in the provision offa foldingmechanism in which the legs 'aref arranged to synchronously folddiagonally" from the corners or edges of the support ing surface towardand. away. :rrom substantially the center of said surface. stillan'other object of my inventionlies in the provision of s suchsynchronized ."folding means which 'perinitsthe free ends of the legs,when moved to -the 'fol'dedposition to overlap each other withoutinterferenceone.vv with anotherr Still' :anotherobject of "my inventionlies. in the provision of an: arrangement of the 1 folding elements?which. permits: such: overlapping foldingz relation of the free ends ofY the" legs in timed relation wherebyfthe'." folding and the unfoldingthereofi is accomplished; quickly and smoothly and :without interference'between any/ of su'ch legs. i "1:1" A--further .-'obj'ect:.;of:myinvention lies in a folding; means? of /the character; referred to andcomprising! essentially a rotatable member positionedsubstantially"centrally of theflsupporting 'surfac'e'nand" ha'vingilink connectionwith the -legs,"i "said: s'legsz being? synchronously foldable therebtowards'a'nd 'awayfrom such center vpositioned/ o A j still furtherobject' of 'imy invention lies in the provision-di e resilientreleasable locking means for j the folding" mechanism in theunfoldedgpo'sitionof the-legs. 3 i It' iS recognized that"hertofore"tables have been provided with legs which are-fo1dable diagonallytoward 'a'nd"'away "-from the center of thet'a'ble "It is'als'orecognized that tables have heretofore been provided with automaticfolding mecha'nism for the' legsfthereof whereby movement "of onelegfresults in synchronous r' ment' 9 e o r s-inm te 'h'rns elf thefirst; however, tofprovide a g mechanism which permits thefolding'of leg1 'ag'onally toward and away. from the table means of: a synchronizingdevicewhich pauses: such folding coffall vthe legs upon the movement ofany one thereof;

.or; configuration, and who .only. I 4 --Pivotally mounted upon thesynchronizing The objects and advantages in details ofcom struction andoperation will be; apparent as the description proceeds, reference nowbeing: hadto the figures of the, accompanying drawingforming a part ofthis application and whereinjlike reference ,numerals indicater likeparts. r min the drawingz; :71- 1 vFigure 1 is a bottom :plan iew of, .atable; such x-asla card table; embodying my invention,

and showing, the legs in partially folded posi.- 10

tionhn -Figure; 2 is aaside view thereof, certain parts being brokenaway-for clearness of illustration. Figure. 3:;is a, detail M bottomplan .view showing the free ends of thelegs in completely foldedposition" U h Figure :4, is a detail :bottom plan view illustrating theposition ofthe folding mechanism with the :legs, in completelyunfoldedlposition. i-Figure 5 is a detail bottomgplanview illus- 120trating the :position of thefolding mechanism with the legs, incompletely folded position, j The reference character 1;refe rs to a.supporting surface around theedges of which there may be, providedtheside framemernbers 2. On

the underside of the supporting piece land at each corner thereof,vthere; is prcwided; a; pivot pin- 3 extending diagonally acrossthe-corner and to these pivotwpins are pivoted respectively the legs 4,15; 6. and 7. I 4 3 B y ut sasyb t ear n at a.;point on -the undersideof; thesupporting surface: 1-,=endc mre e qts a fixedl m ber. 9;;whichmay be in he -formpf adisktor oth erwis e,-;andwhich is suitably. spacedslightly w away-frc m the surface 1.3 Rotatablyrmounted between" the afixed member and; the supporting surface l, for. free rotationabout thecenter of a the; supporting surface is the synchronizing memberl-(Lpwhich-;may@take any desired, form 40 h as-shown is; merely asubstantially square flat plate; The shape and-form of the members 9 and1 0 isimmaterial and thcseshownare intended: as';i1lu'strative member 10at suitably spaced intervals with re- ,spect to each other, and withrespect to the center thereof, as will be hereinafter morefullyeigplained, are the pivot members 11, 12, 1 3 and 14. 5 These pivotmembers are pivotally secured upon I the synchronizing member 10,.as bymeans of .the

bolts 15 or the like, whereby such pivot me'm- ,bers-may rotate upon theplate l0.- Each of these pivot members i Provided with as ep hdhas ingflange 16. "F 7 member 10 may be freely rotated in the oppositedirection against the tension of the spring 29 by moving the legs andconsequently the links connected thereto in the manner heretoforedescribed. During such folding movement, the spring 29 is carried pastthe pivot point 25 of the lever 26, as shown clearly in Figure 5, andthus exerts a pull upon the lever 26 in the opposite direction, wherebythe legs are releasably and resiliently held in folded position untilagain construction and arrangement of parts without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention. I do not limit myself, therefore, tothe exact form herein shown and described other than by the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A foldingmechanism comprising a supporting surface, legs pivotedthereto and foldable toward said surface in overlapping relation,rotatable means on said surface, and means conconecting said legs andsaid means for synchronously folding all of said legs in timed relationupon movement of any leg, said connecting means comprising links andpivot members on said rotatable means, said pivot members being variablyspaced on said rotatable means.

2. In a table, a table top, a top-supporting frame, legs pivotallymounted on the frame adjacent the several corners of the table and eachadapted to swing diagonally inward to folded position beneath the top,the legs of each diagonally opposite pair being so pivoted on the framethat they will be positioned alongside one another when folded, andmeans connecting the legs by which movement of one leg tofolded orunfolded position will cause similarmovements of the other legs, saidmeans embodying mechanism forcausing one pair of diagonally opposed legsto swing inwardly in advance of the other pair, so that the lastmentioned pair of legs will fold over they first mentioned.

pair.

3. In a table, a table top, a top-supporting frame, legs pivotallymounted on the frame adjacent the several corners of the table and eachadapted to swing diagonally inward to folded position beneath the top,the legs of each diagonally opposite pair being so pivoted on the framethat they will be positioned alongside one another when folded, andmeans connecting the legs by which movement of one leg to folded orunfolded position will cause similar movements 'of the other legs, saidmeans embodying mechanism whereby one pair of diagonally opposed legs iscaused to foldover the other pair of legs, and means cooperating withthe first mentioned means to simultaneously lock, all of the legs inunfolded position.

4. In a table, a table top, a top-supportin frame, legs pivotallymounted on the frame adjacent the several corners of the table and eachadapted to swing diagonally inward to folded position beneath the top,the legs of each diagonally opposite pair being so pivoted on the framethat they will be positioned alongside one another when folded, andmeans connecting the legs by which movement of one leg to folded orunfolded position will cause similar movements of the other legs, saidmeans comprising a plate rotatably mounted beneath the central portionof the frame, and link mechanisms connecting the respective legs withthe plate, the pair of link mechanisms for one pair of the diagonallyvJOHN J. WILKINSON-

